Fence-lock



( No Model.)

w. P. GREEN.

Fence Lock;

' No. 239,656. Patented April 5, l88l.

Y ITN SE S;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. GREEN, OF RUSHVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS ,TO DAVID A.GREEN, OF SAME PLACE, JAMES H. ROBERTS, OF SHELBY- VILLE, AND JOHN W.THOMPKINS, OF MILROY, INDIANA.

FENCE-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 239,656, dated April 5,1881.

Application filed August 16, 1889.

I am aware that heretofore fences have been.

locked bypassingwire aroundtherails; but they have been objectionable,because of the method 1510f tightening the wire, which is done either by,using the top rail or a wooden lever. The first is objectionable forthe reason that it is impossible to make the wire of just such lengththat when the rail is passed through it from the opposite direction andturned to its proper place on the fence the desired tension will be onthe wire. The second is objectionable for the'same reason, with theadditional ones, first, when the rails become dry the shrinkage causesthe tension on the wire to slacken and the levers drop to the ground. Itis further objectionable because of its unsightly appearance caused bythe projecting ends of the wooden levers. d The object of my inventionis to provide a 'meansfor locking rail-fences in such manner as toprevent them from being blown down by wind-storms or thrown down byanimals. I attain this object by the mechanism illustrated 5 in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective section ofwormfence, showing the manner of locking by my device. Fig. 2 is a viewembodying my device.

40 Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout both views.

; The lock is formed by passing the wire D around the projecting ends ofthe rails'A A A of afence, as shown in Fig. 1. Theends of 5 the wire Dare then securely fastened together by loops 0. b, Fig. 2, and is thencontracted or tightened on the rails AA A by inserting a bar between theupper surface of the topmost rail,

A, and the wire D, and turning it one or more (No model.)

times around, thus forming the twist G and the eye B.

In this invention it will be seen that the wire is first carried looselyaround the crossed or interlapped ends of the rails in such manner as toprovide an open end or loop above the top rail of the fence. The ends ofthe wire are then united rigidly together, as shown, at the side of thefence, below the top rail, so that the fastening or interlocking eyes aa and the twists b I) will be entirely out of the way and not interferewith the subsequent twisting of the wire in looking the fence. Throughthe open end or loop, provided at the upper end of the lock, above thetop rail, a lever or bar is put, and by it the wire is turned, so as 6to twist its .two parts together and form. the twist O, which draws andlocks the rails firmly together. In forming the twist G that portion ofthe wire around the twisting lever or bar is preserved in an eye orloop, B, from which the said lever or bar may be readily withdrawn, andagain reinserted when 'desired.

In all worm-fences the rails will shrink more or less during the firsttwo or three years after beinglaid up. When this shrinkage takes placemy lock is easily shortened to adapt it to the degree of shrinkage, Alever or suitable bar is put through the eye or 100p B, and one or moreturns given to it, which increases the length of the twist O and drawsthe lock tight to the rails. By this construction I dispense with allwedges and other separate fixtures to adjust the lock to the fence.

I am aware of the patent to N. B. and T. Gunn, No. 195,503, datedSeptember 25, 1877, inwhich is employed a wire lock having the ends ofsaid wire fastened together above the top rail, and in which thetightening of the lock is efiected by a wedge driven between the rails;and I am further aware that it is not new to tighten awire clamp orfastening provided with books on its disconnected ends by twisting aloopor eye previously formed at or near apointcentrallybetween its hookedends, 5 and I do not claim such constructions broadly as my invention;but

Having described my invention, I claim In afenee,the combination, withthe crossedor interlapped ends of the rails, of the wire through it intoa twist, C, and loop or eye B, substantially as set forth, and for thepurposes D, carried loosely around the rails,and having specified.

its ends fastened togetherat the side of the 5 fence, and formingnn openend or loop above the top raihthe said open end or loop being thenturned by a suitable lever or bar thrust WILLIAM P. GREEN.

Attest:

MADISON (J. TINGLEY, CHARLES H. PARSONS.

